Google Domains vs GoDaddy: Domain Name Registrars Compared

When comparing Google Domains vs GoDaddy*, it can be tricky to find out which one offers the best deals, features, and user experience.

* Google Domains has been purchased by Squarespace Domains and is pending regulatory approval.

---

A quick comparison

	Google Domains	GoDaddy
Pricing	Starting at $12 per year	Starting at $9.99 per year (with some promos at $0.01 per year)
Domain extensions	300+ top level domains (TLDs)	500+ TLDs
Interface/user experience	⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️	⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Other Services and Products	Email forwarding, privacy protection, 2-step verification, one-click DNSSEC, Google Workspace integration, site building through partnerships, professional email, online ads	Email forwarding, privacy protection, paid professional email, site building, online stores, SSL certificates, web hosting, paid malware protection, bulk domain registration
Customer support	Chat, email, help center, and FAQ page	Chat, phone, SMS messaging, help center, user forum

---

Google Domains vs GoDaddy: which domain name registrar should you pick?

To decide on the best domain name registrar, we’ll compare Google Domains vs GoDaddy in the following categories:

• Pricing
• Domain extensions offered
• Interface/user experience
• Bonus products and services
• Customer support

Pricing 💳

Pricing for domain names is a tricky subject since so many domain name registrars offer introductory periods, and prices vary depending on the domain extension and domain availability. Having said that, we can establish the starting and ongoing prices for the average domain names from Google Domains and GoDaddy.

Google Domains pricing

The lowest price on Google Domains is $12 per year.

For the main top-level domains like .com, .org, and .net, that $12 per year starting price is rather consistent.

However, that’s a starting price. You may find that some .com or .org TLDs are higher due to their availability or popularity.

Some domain extensions from Google Domains start off with raised prices in general, like the $22 starting rate for .co, or the $60 starting price for the .io extension.

Overall, our research indicates that the vast majority of domain name extensions from Google Domains range from $12 to $100 per year. We did, however, see some aftermarket TLDs for over $1,000 per year.

GoDaddy pricing

GoDaddy domain name pricing isn’t as straightforward.

In general, you should prepare to pay anywhere from $9.99 to $100 per year for a domain from GoDaddy.

Some things, however, may change that:

1. GoDaddy offers cheap introductory pricing (as low as $0.01 for the first year) when you register a domain for multiple years
2. Top-level domains like .biz, .io, and .app skew a little pricier, around the $20—$50 per year range
3. Aftermarket domain names (those being sold by another owner) can get costly; during our search, we saw one for $12,000

🏆 The Winner: Google Domains

Yes, GoDaddy offers cheap introductory prices, but they don’t last. We prefer the consistency and affordability of the $12/yr starting point from Google Domains.

---

Domain extensions offered 🌐

Domain extensions, or top level domains, include the dot and letters to the far right in a domain name, like .com, .org, or .biz.

In this section, we compare Google Domains vs GoDaddy to ensure you have the largest selection of domain extensions available.

Domain extensions from Google Domains

Google Domains sells over 300 domain name extensions.

This means you can get the standards, such as:

• .com
• .org
• .net

Along with industry or country-specific domain extensions like:

• .farm
• .studio
• .fr

Domain extensions from GoDaddy

GoDaddy provides access to over 500 domain name extensions.

These include popular choices like:

• .com
• .net
• .info

And industry or geographically specific extensions like:

• .cricket
• .press
• .nyc

🏆 Winner: GoDaddy

GoDaddy wins this part of the comparison of Google Domains vs GoDaddy because it has more domain extensions.

---

Interface/user experience 🖱️

When shopping for a domain name, you want the experience to be quick, easy to understand, and without many upsells. These are the factors we looked at for this part of our Google Domains vs GoDaddy comparison.

Google Domains user experience and interface

Google Domains offers a search bar right from the start, where you type in a desired domain name and hit the Get It button.

Thereafter, you’re presented with a wide variety of domain names, without any promoted domain names that would clutter the interface.

Thereafter, you’re prompted to sign up for things like auto-renewal and a Google Workspace account, but the upsells are minimal.

For domain management, we like that there are quick tools for domain transfers, privacy, and DNS switching.

GoDaddy’s user experience and interface

Searching for a domain on GoDaddy only takes a second. But you’ll also see several promoted domain names mixed in with the results.

In addition, GoDaddy tries to push its aftermarket domains, which are significantly overpriced.

The checkout process is smooth but presents additional upsells like domain protection and professional emails. As for domain management, we had no problem locating DNS settings or the tools to transfer domains.

🏆 The Winner: Google Domains

Google Domains doesn’t hammer you with many upsells or promoted domains. It’s as simple as picking out a domain and paying for it. Afterward, DNS and transfer tools are readily available.

---

Bonus features and services ⚙️

Google Domains and GoDaddy don’t only sell domain names.

Some of their “extras” are excellent for a smooth web development process. For example, it’s beneficial to buy a domain and hosting from the same company.

Next in our review of Google Domains vs GoDaddy, we’ll compare the bonus features offered by these two platforms.

Google Domains bonus features and services

Here are our favorite bonus features (some free, some paid) from Google Domains:

• Privacy protection (free)
• Custom email (paid)
• Website building (free – not sold by Google Domains, but offered through Google Sites and a variety of third-party partnerships)
• Integrations with Google products (free and paid)
• Domain transfers (free)

GoDaddy bonus features and services

GoDaddy has a longer list of bonuses, mainly because it offers full-fledged hosting and site-building services:

• Privacy protection (free and paid)
• Professional email (paid)
• Website building (free and paid)
• Domain transfers (free)
• Website hosting (paid)
• Malware defense (paid)
• Ecommerce tools like an online store builder and SSL (free and paid)

🏆 Winner: GoDaddy

You can’t beat the convenience of getting a domain and web hosting in the same spot.

---

Customer Support 🔧

In terms of customer support for Google Domains vs GoDaddy, we’re looking at both dedicated support (with a real person) and online documentation.

Google Domains customer support

For its support, Google Domains offers:

• A help center with online documentation
• An FAQs page
• Direct online support through email and chat

GoDaddy customer support

GoDaddy has a more robust customer support section. You can expect:

• A help center with documentation
• A user forum
• How-to videos
• Blog
• Phone support
• Chat support
• SMS text support

🏆 Winner: GoDaddy

The SMS support option provided by GoDaddy is a considerable bonus, and there’s a phone line to call. Not to mention, GoDaddy has a more robust docs section.

---

Summary 🏁

Here are the results of our comparison between Google Domains and GoDaddy:

• 💳 Pricing: Google Domains wins
• 🌐 Domain extensions: GoDaddy wins
• 🖱️ Interface/user experience: Google Domains wins
• ⚙️ Bonus features and services: GoDaddy wins
• 🔧 Customer support: GoDaddy wins

That makes GoDaddy the overall win with a score of 3-2. But if you prefer consistently low pricing and a stronger user experience, Google Domains is a wise choice, especially if you’re not ready to buy web hosting/start building your website yet.

You can learn how to transfer a domain name to either service in just a few minutes if you already own one elsewhere!